Author

ORCID ID

Date Awarded

Spring 2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

Advisor

Judith B Harris

Committee Member

Mark J Hofer

Committee Member

Lori Korinek

Abstract

This multiple case study explored how secondary-level co-teachers hold, build, and share knowledge related to technology integration. Co-teaching, a special education service delivery model, involves a general and special educator who share responsibility for planning, delivering, and assessing instruction (Friend, 2014). Through the lens of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006), I explored the perspectives and experiences of four co-teaching pairs who regularly integrated technology into instruction. Study results suggested that these teachers held knowledge, beliefs, and values that influenced their classroom practices. The micro-level contextual elements in the teachers’ workplaces, along with meso-levels supports, influenced how the teachers built and shared knowledge with and from each other. Their collaborative relationships, which were based upon parity, respect, and communication, supported a professional work environment of sharing and learning. As these teachers engaged in dialogue within their teaching and learning partnerships, individually-held knowledge (TPACK) was distributed between the co-teachers. Content-, grade-, and school-level collaborations addressing technology integration also resulted in the distribution of TPACK school-wide. Implications of these results include recommendations for how school leaders may support effective co-teaching, which can enhance teachers’ professional learning related to technology integration and encourage the development of distributed knowledge.